Here’s How Much It Costs To Charge The Cheapest Three-row Electric SUV

The base trim Kia EV9 Light rear-wheel drive is currently the cheapest three-row seven-seater electric SUV you can purchase in the U.S. Interestingly, there are a fair number of three-row EV options currently available, including the likes of the Tesla Model Y Long Range, Vinfast VF9, Mercedes-Benz EQB, and more. The South Korean option outprices all of these options without compromising on visual aesthetics, performance, comfort, or efficiency.

The EV9 is one of the most competitively priced crossovers available in the market, with the benefit of being a very cost-effective car to run. It is the base model, so Kia equips it with a shorter standard features list, a smaller battery, and only one electric drive unit. If this sounds like an appealing product to you, then this is what you can expect to be paying for electricity during your ownership experience.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Kia and other authoritative sources, including the EPA and the U.S. Bureau of Labor And Statistics.

The Kia EV9 Light RWD Costs $54,900

The Kia EV9 is the South Korean manufacturer’s all-new seven-seater option in its slowly growing electric arsenal. The flagship model line introduces a robust exterior and chic interior design. The base Light RWD trim starts at $54,900, and features a 632-volt 76 kWh battery supplied by SK Innovations. The EV9 mimics the EV6’s range with a base Light rear-wheel drive trim, but with different power outputs and battery capacities.

Performance Specifications

The Kia EV9 Takes 65 Hours To Charge

The Light long-range rear-wheel drive model is the most efficient model, boasting an 89 MPGe combined consumption estimate and 304-mile range claim. The standard range is marginally less efficient with its 88 MPGe combined estimate, and the smaller battery means you’re only going to cover 230 miles on a single charge.

Range And Charging Time

(Data sourced from Kia and the EPA)

The 76 kWh battery takes 65 hours to charge using a Level One plug point and seven hours when using a 240-volt Level Two plug. DC fast charging covers 10 to 80 percent of the battery in 20 minutes thanks to the 10.9 kW onboard charging system.

The Kia EV9 Costs $32 To Charge

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor And Statistics, the national cost of electricity currently sits at 17 cents per kWh. St. Louis and Seattle are two cities that benefit from the lowest energy costs, at 13 cents per kWh. San Diego and San Francisco are some of the more expensive areas, where energy can cost you up to 42 cents for every kWh. These rates are slightly lower during off-peak hours, which are typically between 11 PM and 6 AM when most people charge.

Charging Costs

The EV9’s smallest battery costs $9.88 to charge in lower-rate cities, but you can expect this to increase to $31.92 in the most expensive regions. The average cost to charge this battery will be around $12.92. DC fast charging rates typically sit at around 50 cents per kWh, so you can expect to be paying $38 when fully fast-charging the EV9 Light’s battery. These rates can double during peak hours or when charging stations are at capacity, resulting in a $76 charging cost.

The Kia EV9 Comes With Three Years Of Free Charging

All new Kia EV9 sales include a three-year complimentary 30-minute DC fast charging session at any Electrify America branch, limited to 1,000 kWh. This means you can get just under eight free fast-charging sessions for free. Electrify America’s network consists of 878 chargers located across the U.S. These include a total of 3,892 fast chargers and 111 Level Two chargers, with 91 more locations currently under construction.

• Electrify America is the largest open direct current (DC) fast-charging network in the United States.
• It was established in 2017 as part of Volkswagen’s court settlement related to the diesel emissions scandal.
• The network aims to promote electric vehicle (EV) adoption by providing convenient and accessible charging infrastructure.
• Electrify America operates over 878 charging stations with more than 3,800 individual fast chargers across the country.
• Their chargers support various charging standards, including CHAdeMO, CCS, and Tesla’s proprietary connector with adapters.
• Electrify America invests in renewable energy sources to power its charging stations, contributing to environmental sustainability.

Like the rest of Kia’s electric car range, EV9 owners also get access to the Kia Charge smartphone app. This lets you remotely start, stop, and schedule your EV’s charging. You can also use this app to preset the car’s climate control system.

The Kia Wall Charger Costs $799

You get a standard 120-volt charging cable for household plugs when you buy an all-new EV9. Kia USA currently does not sell a portable Level Two-rated cable, but you can source a compatible one from a third-party supplier for about $200. For household fast charging, Kia provides a plethora of Level Two wallboxes via reputable third-party suppliers, ranging between 8 kW and 11.5 kW, with prices starting at $799. Installation costs range between $800 and $2,000, depending on your location.

• Kia designs the E-GMP platform to handle a variety of vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, crossovers, and even high-performance electric cars.
• With 800-volt charging capability, the E-GMP platform comes equipped with industry-leading supercharging capabilities. You can charge it from 10 to 80 percent in just 20 minutes.
• The E-GMP-based charging system enables bidirectional charging, which means that the Kia charging system can operate other 110-220-volt electrical machinery, as well as being able to charge other EVs.
• The E-GMP will appear in 23 upcoming EV models from the Hyundai Motor Group, including 11 dedicated Kia EV models.
• The platform delivers benefits not found in other platforms currently used by the Hyundai Group. These benefits include a more powerful driving performance, increased development flexibility, better safety features, more passenger and cargo space, and an improved driving range.

The EV9’s E-GMP electrical system benefits from a convenient bidirectional vehicle-to-load system. You can use 80 percent of the battery’s charge to power small appliances at 120 volts, making it a handy portable workstation or camper. A V2L socket in the interior and an outside connector in the charging socket both deliver a maximum output of 3.68 kW, which you can use to charge or power electric devices or other electric vehicles.

Kia EV9 Battery Warranty And Replacement Cost

Kia covers all EV9 battery and powertrain-related problems via its 10-year or 100,000-mile warranty. You can expect the EV9’s battery technology to retain more than 70 percent of battery degradation during this period. Kia is fairly new to the electric car sphere, so we can’t say how reputable its battery technology is over a long period, but SK Innovations has a strong reputation in the energy storage industry.

Electric cars have a good reputation for being more reliable than ICEs because of their fewer moving parts. Manufacturers back this by selling them with more expansive warranty packages. Kia doesn’t disclose parts pricing, so we also can’t tell you how much a replacement battery outside of warranty costs. When batteries start to age, manufacturers will identify and replace the faulty battery modules rather than exchange the entire battery pack. The result is a lower repair cost and carbon footprint.